Diphtheria cases on the rise in Bengal

Kolkata: Amidst the Covid situation, diphtheria cases are also on the rise in Bengal as many children have been admitted to Beliaghata ID Hospital with the disease.

According to sources, a child had died in Kolkata recently due to diphtheria. It was learnt that Beliaghata ID Hospital has been seeing patients with diphtheria since early January. Most of them have received admission in hospitals. This has also become a concern for Beliaghata ID Hospital officials. There is nothing to worry about it as of now, a health official in the state said.

Beliaghata ID Hospital has been serving as a dedicated Covid hospital and was declared the nodal hospital for the virus when cases were first reported in Bengal. It still serves as a nodal hospital for the Omicron variant as well. As the hospital has to cater to a large number of Covid infected patients, it will become difficult for the hospital to handle the situation if diphtheria cases go up. This has been a hospital for infectious diseases. The situation is completely under control and there is nothing to panic. Only a few cases have been reported so far, said an official.